IA NEMO ODYSSEY 2024

This project responds to the impact of the modern space race by proposing an architecture that retrieves and recycles the excessive debris we have put out into the Earth’s orbit. The Nemo Space Archive is located in the central region of the South Pacific Ocean that is marked as Point Nemo. This “point” represents a series of coordinates that sign-posts the most remote location on Earth; also known as the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility that is more than 3,000 km away from the nearest land.

Due to this fact, Point Nemo has been used by many space organizations as the designated disposal site for decommissioned satellites. With a surface area of 1 million km², the Nemo Archive looks to monopolize the opportunity that exists in Point Nemo by capturing satellites, meteorites and other space objects that are directed here. Informed by modern graphene technology, the Archive is able to bullet-proof itself from impacting objects much like a Kevlar vest. Underneath its membrane lies the collection of space fragments that range from small commercial satellites to large space stations such as Mir. It looks to capture the International Space Station in year 2024.

Date. 21-03-2001

Ground point. 42.12° North. 12.52° East. Orbital speed. 4.760 km/s. 17137 km/h. Altitude. 400 km

DECOMMISSIONED SATELLITE

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas Amazon [1998]

Based on the same region of the pacific, Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas follow the voyage of Captain Nemo, who is named after the location itself. The project takes after the captain’s ambition to invent new technologies based on observations made above and below the water of this region - incoming and sunken satellites.

143°23.6′W

17°52.6′S

Debris Impact Point

Total Count: 254

Point Nemo’s ocean bed is located 4,000 m below the surface.

The site highlights and depths of the South Pacific region.

THERMOSPHERE

Altitude: (85 - 690 km)

MESOSPHERE

Altitude: (50 - 85 km)

STRATOSPHERE

Altitude: (20 - 50 km)

TROPOSPHERE

Altitude: (0 - 20 km)

TROPOSPHEREAltitude: (020 km)

B. GRAVEYARD ORBIT

Altitude: (39,000 - 40,000 km)

[1] - SATELLITE DE-ORBIT

Altitude: (800 - 1,000 km)

Velocity: 4.2 km/s

Temp: 600 °C

DEBRIS STATS

VO70-291353-033-008283

Date. 21-03-2001

Ground point. 42.12° North. 12.52° East. Orbital speed. 4.760 km/s. 17137 km/h. Altitude. 36,000 km

129 Million Pieces

Time. 05:23:14 UTC.

A. - POINT NEMO (South Pacific Ocean)

[4] - LANDING

Altitude: (<10 km)

Velocity: 11.7 km/s

Temp: 880 °C

[3] - BOOST GLIDE

Altitude: (15 -20 km)

Velocity: 7.8 km/s

Temp: 1,200 °C

[2] - VAPORIZATION POINT

Altitude: (60 - 70 km)

Velocity: 11 km/s

Temp: 1,480 °C

REENTRY STUDY

VO70-291353-033-008283

Date. 21-03-2001

Just a few weeks ago, China’s Tianhe shuttle fell from space and produced a large amount of debris that crashed into inhabited areas.

UNCONTROLLED LANDING ROUTE

CONTROLLED LANDING SEQUENCE & ROUTE

PAST SATELLITE & SPACE OBJECT REENTRY DATA

[1] - SOYUZ 1

Ground point. 42.12° North. 12.52° East. Orbital speed. 4.760 km/s. 17137 km/h.

Altitude. 36,000 km

Altitude: (170 - 200 km)

Time. 05:23:14 UTC.

Velocity: 9 km/s

Landing Mass: 2800 kg

[2] - COLUMBIA

Altitude: (60 - 65 km)

Velocity: 18 km/s

Landing Mass: 80,700 kg

[3] - CHALLENGER

Altitude: (30 - 40 km)

Velocity: 16 km/s

Landing Mass: 62,500 kg

[4] - SPACE DEBRIS

Altitude: (50 - 70 km)

Velocity: 11 km/s

Landing Mass: Varying

[5] - ASTEROID

Altitude: (10 - 20 km)

Velocity: 21 km/s

Landing Mass: Varying

My Calculations

An approximated impact force is calculated based on the ISS’s mass. The result is used in the following experiment as Impact 2.

The first experiment focuses on the dispersion of force. Three impact weights are dropped in the center of the model to depict the landing of space objects. Three classes of stationary weights on three different radius record the effects of the impact.

The three sequences describe the use of water as a medium to capture the satellite. However, the water’s surface tension must be avoided due to the high speed of impact. The fabric must break the surface tension in preservation of the space objects.

Findings show that heavy stationary masses are advantageous to have close to the center for small and medium impacts but must be moved to the perimeter when receiving large objects. Overall, distance is still the most effective variable to dampen oscillation.

A ballast tank is used to drag the perforated fabric below the water surface. While the water is aerated, the debris will travel into the pocket of water that has little surface tension.

The density of water will then decrease the object’s kinetic energy. If the object does have remaining velocity and collides with the graphene, the sea anchors are responsible for providing resistance.

The pressure generated by the impact will form a high density layer of water between the object and the water surface, trapping the object and preventing fragments from escaping.

Three different materials were tested on water to deduce the most buoyant, malleable, and resistant material. The circular shape favors the dispersion of force. As the result, a combination of Kevlar (represented by mesh) and Graphene (represented by polypropylene fabric) will be used for the building’s space-object-proof skin.

The RemoveDEBRIS satellite launched in 2018 by NASA and SpaceX is designed to return satellites and space objects back

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Components

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RemoveDEBRIS satellite carries out the controlled re-entries while the Nemo Space Archive looks to capture two other types of re-entries listed below.

1. CONTROLLED RE-ENTRY

Reentry over a pre-determined area, region, within which the debris is to fall.

2. SEMI-CONTROLLED RE-ENTRY

Less control of the debris’ trajectory. In most cases, the general landing area can be calculated but not altered.

3. UNCONTROLLED RE-ENTRY

Undetectable objects entering the Earth’s atmosphere, they may be small remains of meteors or satellites.

References For Scale

The diagram demonstrates the placement of the OTECs in relation to the thermal vents. The OTECs generate energy through the difference in water temperature between the ocean surface and the thermal vents. This is the main energy source for the building.